


We’re still Brothers

by imbadatlove



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Angst, I honestly love David and Javi’s brotherly relationship though, Multi, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-01-31 08:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12677745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imbadatlove/pseuds/imbadatlove
Summary: A couple of months later, Richmond has been stabilised once again. Javier, alongside David and a few other of their friends, now run Richmond better than it had even been run before. But Javi starts turning back to his old habits of distancing himself from his loved ones once again. David isn’t going to let him go this time, though.





	We’re still Brothers

All through his life, Javier Garcia had became accustomed to the praise he would recieve. Whether it was from his family, or his baseball fans didn’t matter; there was nothing more he loved than the all-too-familiar, electrical buzz he would get when someone congratulated him, when he would successfully achieve a home run in baseball, or even gave him something as simple as a hearty clap on the back. To him, it was all the same, and he took great pleasure in it. 

However, because of all of the praise he was practically showered and smothered in, he had became his own man entirely. He began to think he could endure everything on his own; the pressure of the sport he played and the problems he had caused with his family, he could do it all on his own. They would state he didn’t know what he was doing, or that they need him so badly.

Instead of facing these family issues, he decided to run from them. Thankfully he had baseball to use as his excuse when his uncle Hector, or even David would phone him up, demanding he get his sorry ass over to their house immediately. He always ignored it. 

As the days turned into weeks, into months even, Javi hadn’t gone back for his family. He was too immersed in his career now, so much so, he didn’t even want to risk ruining it for the people who were always there for him. And of course, he felt bad about it at times, but he didn’t know what to do about it. 

The baseball star had been coddled as a child, always Pa’s favourite, always the one recieving complements and getting away with all the stupid shit he’d do as a kid. His older brother, David, however was always at the front of it all. Always the one in trouble, always the one getting the cold shoulder if ever ‘Prince Javi’ as David had called him, was around. Sometimes the  younger brother even began to think the reason David enlisted for the army in the first place—was because of him.

Even with his career sky high, he easily began slipping up when his Pa was diagnosed with cancer. He’d found out when he had reluctantly gone back home for the day to see his family again, and recieving a hard, cold punch in the jaw from David for forgetting about them the way he did, and played dominoes with his Pa and brother. No hard feelings, he’d supposed, though he never forgot the secretive glares and David’s eyes, as piercing as thorns, as they stared directly into his. 

He’d lost the game, David had happily rubbed that salt into the wound, and he’d gone to grab his Pa’s wallet. They information about his cancer had fallen out of the wallet, and his brother snatched it eagerly out of his hands before exploding about the news.

They had argued, and fought, all three of them. There was swearing and yelling and words of anguish spilling uncontrollably from their lips, but in the end, it was for nothing. David had wanted Javi to back him up that night, but he didn’t have the courage to do so. The older brother had stormed out soon after, with nothing more than a ‘ _I can’t fucking believe this.’_ and ‘ _You’re both fucking cowards._ ’ to both of them. 

With the two alone, Javi had asked what his Pa was going to do, and he responded with something worthless, then dwelling on about how his pride was fucked, and how he’ll be words carved in a stone before he knows it. 

‘ _That’ll be me, words on a rock that nobody wants to visit.’_

And that night, was when Javi realised he needed his family more than he had contemplated before. He didn’t want his Pa to die, he needed the man who believed in him, the man who’d watch him and David play baseball as kids...He needed the man who had pride in who he was, and not what he could’ve been. Javi wanted to be like that. 

That’s when he pissed his baseball career goodbye. He fucked it all over, all because he had got addicted to gambling and splashing his cash. Javi wished he could tell people it wasn’t because of his Pa’s death, but he couldn’t. 

He’d missed the day his Pa died in his bed at home. Home, where he needed to be, needed to be thanking him for everything and holding his hand as he would slowly slip away. Unfortunately that day, his car had got stuck in traffic on the highway, he was going to be back for the death, but he was too late. 

Upon his arrival, his brother was sitting on the steps leading up to the front door, out in the warm, summer’s breeze, watching the horizon. And he’d apologised profusely, spewing how he tried and tried and it wasn’t enough because it’s never enough. Never enough for him, or his brother apparently. 

_‘You tried? You fucking tried?!’_

David had socked him in the cheek, just below his eye and left a visible mark, the blow had made him fall onto his side as well. For once in his life, Javi wasn’t mad about his brother hitting him again, or even yelling at him, because he knew at this moment in time that David was right that day. He should’ve made it, the traffic was no excuse, and he’d mumbled something back to David he didn’t think would leave his mouth before. 

_‘Well go on then, hit me, if it makes you feel better. Because at this point? I fucking deserve it, David.’_

Something had flashed in David’s eyes, something of guilt, maybe understanding, or just downright anger, and he was going to commit to Javi’s wish, when Gabriel—his nephew, David’s son—stopped them abruptly by calling out ‘ _Uncle Javi?’_ and why they were fighting. 

Unsurprisingly after that, his and David’s relationship spiralled downhill fast. Whenever they’d see each other, David just wanted a reason to argue, even if it was plain stupid, Kate would agree; he wanted a reason to show Javier tough love, show him what he had felt when he’d left long ago, show him the pain he’d caused the family. 

And David had told him countless times, it was because he was trying to teach him to grow up and be a man. Javier was struck in disbelief the first time his brother had mentioned this to him, _‘Tough love is the way to get you to fucking learn, little brother.'_

But even if they were more distant than they’d ever been before, in a time of need, David confided in Javier. He’d tell him about how him and Kate acted around each other, how they argued in front of the kids and how he was considering joining the army again because he couldn’t take it anymore. 

And Javi made sure to pay his end of the bargain back. He began spending more time around his family, as his career was nothing now, and had got well acquainted with Gabe and Mari, who he had only seen glimpses of in the past. When they were younger, they’d fool around and play together; hide and seek, tag, shit like that. After all the time they spent together, Gabe and Mariana loved having Javier around, he became the ‘cool uncle’ to them. He liked that. 

Then the apocalypse had to go and ruin it all. The muertos were ruthless, ripping many of his family members from his life in an instant. His Pa had turned, and in order to save his brother, he had to bludgeon his Pa’s head in with a wooden bed post. Additional to this, the New Frontier didn’t do them any favours either, shooting sweet, loving Mari in the head and having no remorse about it; shooting Kate and threatening his friends and family. 

And Javi began caring so much more, driving around in a van with Gabe, Mari and Kate as his only companions. He learnt survival skills, learnt how to move on with things he wished he didn’t do, or didn’t want to do, learnt how to put others before himself and he knew that he couldn’t abandon people now because he needed them more than he’d like to admit. 

The fight for Richmond was brutal and bloodied, but they had succeeded and that’s what mattered. They were all back together again, and Javi could honestly say he was now a changed man. He’d told Jesus he was considering stepping up to help Richmond get back up on its feet again. Paul Monroe was quick to encourage the man, and asked if he was welcome in the future as he wanted to make sure the Kingdom and Richmond were safe from now on. Javi had given him permission to come back immediately. 

And Javi did step up for Richmond. Alongside his friends and family; Tripp, David, Kate and Jesus when he decided to stay, began turning the city in the right direction. All of them were proud to say they had fixed the city, even if Joan was still out there somewhere. She wasn’t coming back, that’s for sure. 

This brings us to the present day, where Javi is sitting in an apartment with Tripp next to him and Gabe and Clementine in the background playing Euchre and discussing what her plans would be for finding AJ. Javi would admit, watching them hit it off was quite amusing, he’d spotted Gabe blushing or stuttering over his words more than once—every time it would give him a chuckle and he’d recieve a pissy look from his nephew. 

Normally, Javi wouldn’t be around right now, but since David refused to talk to him unless it was about Richmond, he had to watch the kids in case they caused any trouble. Hell, Javi hated to admit it, but being around this many people was really taking a tole on him; he was beginning to turn back to his old ways. The days he depended on himself and himself only, the days he was free to do what he wanted, and be the person he wanted to be. 

He was now distancing himself from Kate, Gabe and David, even some of his friends. Of course, David didn’t care in his eyes, Kate was still annoyed at his rejection and Gabe...Well, he had to be there for Gabriel. He looked up to Javi far too much, and he still wanted to remain the ‘cool uncle’ here in Richmond.

Sighing, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was how life was at home when he wasn’t around, a couple of kids playing, adults talking...

“Damn, Javi, are you even listening to me, man?” Tripp’s voice concluded and snapped him out of his thoughts in an instant. He turned to look at the man next to him with a sheepish and confused look on his face. 

“Hm? Shit, sorry about that, Tripp. You were saying?” He turned back to his teammate his attention fully on him and his words now. 

Tripp looked slightly annoyed, but his annoyance was quickly replaced with a warm look of sincerity “I was thinkin’...I want to try with Eleanor again. I know I shouldn’t push it with her like I did last time...But, my heart won’t respect what I want to do, man. It’s hard to move on when I can’t get her outta my head.” 

“Tripp, I’m sure you and Eleanor can work something out, just follow your heart. It’s the only thing all of us have left these days, right?” He smiled honestly. 

“Thanks, Javi. But I’ve been meanin’ to ask ya...Have you been okay lately?” Tripp sounded generally concerned. 

“Ah, you know me, I’m always okay.” Javi responded, shrugging slightly. 

“I mean, just, you’ve always been the one who’s had my back and knew what to do when it was an absolute shit show out there, man. But now...You’re just spending all your time by yourself unless you’re forced to be around us. I know you’ve got a huge weight on your shoulders now, but...” 

“I don’t know if I want to stay.” The baseball player looked down at his feet. Unbeknownst to them, across the room, Gabe was intentively listening in on their conversation. When those words left his uncle’s mouth, he was sprung up on his feet and quickly standing in front of his uncle. 

“W-what? Javi, you have to stay! You’ve taught me so much...And we still need to take care of dad, remember? You promised me you would help him with me!” The teenager protested. 

“Gabe, he doesn’t even make an attempt to talk to me anymore. It’s hard for me to help someone who wants to stay away from me all the fucking time.” He sighed.

“Little man, this is Javi’s decision. If he ain’t happy here, ya shouldn’t stand in his way like this, it’s not right—“ Tripp started before Gabe jumped in again.

”No! Javi, you can’t! We need you here! Even when I was young you were never around, but now we’re all together again, we can stay together—you have to make it work with dad, please. Plus, you run Richmond now! You can’t just leave us!” 

“Gabe, it’s Javi’s choice.” Clementine spoke to him. Gabe seemed to tense up by her words. 

“Gabe, buddy...—“ Javi was cut off by the sound of the front door creaking open before it was slammed shut. Gabe quickly walked away from him and to the corner of the room, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the wall angrily. Javier sighed as he turned to see who was in the doorway. 

He could’ve sworn he was seeing things. 

In the threshold, there stood his older brother looking pissed, as usual. He took one glance at Javi and their eyes briefly met before he acted like Javi was invisible like he normally did. He crossed the room and placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. Gabe turned to face him. 

“What’s wrong, Mijo?” He questioned, he couldn’t remember Gabe looking this upset or raging before. Guess his son did inherit some of his traits after all. 

Gabriel looked at his uncle who was giving him an intense stare, as if to tell him to not say anything, but when Gabe wasn’t in control of his emotions, anything would fly out of his mouth. It would be just like when he accidentally shouted how Javi killed Conrad in Tripp and Eleanor’s presence. David and Javi would snap, he knew it, but like he said...He couldn’t control his emotions. 

“Javi wants to leave!” He pointed his finger directly at the male, and for the first time in a while, David turned around to face his brother. Javier stood up from his seated position as his brother approached him with fire in his eyes. 

“Why am I not fucking surprised...You’re still the same selfish, naive fuck you were years ago. I think it’s time me and you had a talk, Javi.” He growled at him. 

“You don’t talk to me for weeks, and now you want to ‘talk’? You’re still the same raging asshole you were years ago, David. If anything, our ‘talks’ would involve you beating the shit out of me.” The baseball player argued. 

David got right up in his face now. “And clearly, those beatings didn’t make you learn a damn fucking thing, little brother.”

“I’ve helped in Richmond, David! I’ve done my part here so why do you care if I leave?” Javi removed his gaze off his brother and onto something else in the room. 

”Oh that’s right, only your life matters. As long as Prince-fucking-Javi is happy, who cares about what happens to everybody else, right? You give up on everybody else.” 

“Vete a la mierda, David.” Javi turned his around fully so his back was facing David. 

“Don’t you dare turn your back on me!—“ 

“I don’t give a fuck—“

”Y’all gotta calm the fuck down.” Tripp tried but none of the brothers listened, they simply continued arguing like cats and dogs. 

Gabe drowned out his father’s voice as he continued to scold his uncle. The guilt he was feeling was growing inside him increasingly as the seconds passed by slowly. He felt as if time had stood still; he’d caused this argument just because he couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut. 

Maybe it would escalate as bad as it became at the water tower. Gabe didn’t want that to happen again, Javi nearly got killed by his own brother that day. Alternatively, his uncle might initiate the fight this time, or maybe David would try and teach him another lesson. Either way, he was responsible. 

He couldn’t be a coward, he mustered up the courage to raise his head up from his moping like a stubborn child and was about to charge forward to intervene when Clem grabbed his wrist.

“Gabe, don’t. They just need to get it off their chest, I wouldn’t get in the way, we know what happened last time.” She indicated to the scar on his forehead. Deep down, he knew she was right. No matter how much he wanted to try and make things right now, he couldn’t, he was forced to sit back and watch what he had caused. 

“David it never ends with you! All you want to do is argue when I haven’t even done anything wrong.” Javi narrowed his eyes at his brother until they were slits with anger flickering behind them. 

David became eerily silent. His face began twisting with all sorts of emotions he didn’t know he could feel. Pain, sadness, anger, even a pinch of understanding might be underlying there, but Javi didn’t care. He was determined to get the upper hand on this argument for once and tell David to back off. This was his life, not his older brother’s. 

“Oh now you shut your goddamn mouth? I swear—“ 

All of a sudden, David had lurched forward and grabbed Javi by his shoulders so tightly his knuckles began to turn white. His face was close to his brother’s as he shouted,

“ **I can’t fucking lose you again!”**

Now it was Javier’s turn to be stunned into silence. He studied David’s face with an intensity he didn’t know he had before. He took in every little disfigurement that did not belong on his brother’s face; those miniscule, slowly forming tears didn’t belong in his eyes, his normal confident facial expression shouldn’t be this melancholic one Javi was staring at now. David’s grip didn’t relent or loosen up off his shoulders, he continued to stare down at his brother’s shoes in complete and utter silence. 

“D-David, I...” David rapidly let go off his brother’s shoulders as soon as the first syllable left Javi’s mouth. David sprinted out the door. Javi watched him go before he turned around and gave a solemn look to his friends. 

“You should go talk to him, Javi, you can’t leave things like this between you and him.” Tripp encouraged him. He nodded and followed his brother out.  

As he followed after his brother’s shadow down various hallways, he couldn’t help but wonder what David meant by his words. As far as he was concerned, he’d never gone missing, or missed much at least. Unless you counted the amount of gatherings, funerals, parties, birthdays and celebrations his family had planned and he hadn’t turned up—...He sighed, he really was the idiot fuck up. 

He finally caught up with his older brother as he forcefully pushed the balcony door open. By the time he had stepped onto the roof, David was already standing at the balcony fencing, watching the sun set with the sky above him lit up in opalescent orange, scarlet ribbon red and milky, gloomy blue. 

He stood directly beside his brother and didn’t say a word. This wasn’t the type of weird, awkward silence you get when you’re near your crush in highschool, it was a welcoming, peaceful silence. A silence that makes you realise not all hope is lost. It was peculiar to say the least. Before, Javi couldn’t stand the silence, he’d do anything to break it, even if that meant blurting something out at his brother just to get a reaction from him. 

They must’ve stood together in the deafening silence for minutes, though it felt like hours as they simply enjoyed the other’s presence. No words were needed between them now, it was a moment of peace, a moment where they weren’t at each other’s throats. 

Maybe this was the start to fixing their relationship. Javi took a deep breath and let it out. 

“I want to change, Javi. I want to change how I treat you,” David started, turning to face his little brother with the same broken face as earlier, “But I don’t know how. Is it because I can’t change how I think, or I can’t change myself?” 

“Maybe we can figure that out together, brother.” The baseball player replied. 

“We’re gonna have to...It’s just hard for me right now, little brother. Kate won’t talk to me, Gabe looks at me differently...And I try to ignore the one person who’s still there for me. That’s you, Javi.” 

“‘You have to take care of eachother,’ that’s what Pa said to me. I know we’ve had rough times, Joan, the fight at the water tower—“

“Don’t bring that up, Javi. I regret that every single fucking day.” Javi placed his hands up in defence. He really didn’t want to start another fight here. 

“I bet you do,” He replied sincerely, “But we’re still brothers, David, and like you said to me once, family has to stick together.” 

“I’m proud of you, little brother, you finally grew up. But that doesn’t change why you want to leave.” David’s expression turned serious and he looked at Javi expectantly. It was obvious his brother was wrestling with something for a while now, Javier had never been one to stick around for too long. 

“Richmond and I, we’ve had issues. God David, the day I arrived here, it went to shit. I made you lose your position in the council, I got me and my friends kicked out, I got you thrown in a cell with me, I’m the reason so many people are dead. I just can’t fuck this up for all the innocent people living here, so it’s better if I’d go.” He inhaled deeply before letting it out with a depressed sigh. David placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder and gripped tightly. 

“Don’t do that to yourself, Javi. None of that was your fault, it was Joan all along. She killed Mariana, she destroyed other settlements and she was the one who attacked me. You’re stronger than I’ve ever given you credit for...because I was jealous of that fact. I know that me, you and your friends can lead Richmond in the right direction.” 

“You said yourself David you were going to protect your family from now on, so why do you need me here? Kate and Gabe are safe with you here, aren’t they? You’ve got Lingard and Ava too.” Javi pointed out. 

“All that shit I said wasn’t true then. I know I treated you as if you weren’t my brother, just a friend, but I realise now you’re my family as much as Kate and Gabe. Javi...We need you here, brother. If not for me, then for all your friends; Kate, Gabe, Clem and the others here. They need us.” 

“That means a lot, David, it really does. I’ll think about it.” 

“If I’m protecting my family, you’re counted little brother.” David offered his brother a smile, to which Javi happily returned. He then stepped forward and embraced Javier fiercely, it was hard to think he couldn’t remember the last time he had hugged his brother, or even shown the slightest bit of sentiment. But here he was, crushing his little brother in a bear hug.

David Garcia was a changed man just like his brother. 

David realised now how much Javi had done for him. He’d gotten Kate and Gabe to his house then came to back him up against Joan, he’d supported him when they were locked up, and at the water tower the former baseball star hadn’t fought back. He’d allowed David to punch him, to beat him around the face with a damn wrench and almost choke him to death with the same instrument. The soldier was silently grateful Clementine had been there to stop him that day. 

They pulled away and for once both of them looked content around each other. 

“We should probably head back, they’re probably worried sick right now,” Javi suggested, indicating towards the door.

“Why would they be worried?” David thought aloud.

“We haven’t exactly been the friendliest around each other lately, have we? May as well get back before they think you’ve killed me.” He smirked. 

“Oh, fucking with me already huh?” David retaliated however there was an amused grin on his face, “Well alright then, let’s head back.” 

As Javi headed for the roof door, his brother called out to him before following after him.

”I love you, little brother. You know that, right?”

Javier shot him a small smile, “I know.”

Together, the duo stepped down from the roof and started making their way back down the hallways to the apartment the others were cooped up in. When they entered, all eyes were on them and the others looked shocked to see them standing together. 

“Have y’all sorted this shit out, now?” Tripp was the first one to speak this time, looking at the two previously conflicted brothers sternly. 

“Actually, we have.” Javi answered simply with a shrug. 

“Wait, really? I was expectin’ a ‘no’ or for you both to start beatin’ the shit out of each other.” The blonde male joked.

As Javi went to answer Tripp, Gabe ran over to them and jumped in before a word could roll off his uncle’s tongue. 

“Have you guys stopped arguing then? And Javi does that mean you’re staying now? I know it wasn’t my space to tell...But I need to know!” 

“Yeah...I’m staying.” Gabe then threw himself at Javi and wrapped his arms around him.

“Thank you, Javi!” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw David looking quite deflated and peeved. 

“Hey, don’t just thank me, thank your dad. He’s the one who talked me out of it.” With a nod of his head he gestured towards his older brother. Gabe turned to look at David with a grin on his face. 

“I’m glad you two are supporting each other now.” Clem joined them, looking happy for them. 

“Like I said, I’m gonna protect my family from now on.” To emphasise his point, David wrapped his arm around his brother’s and son’s shoulders and pulled them close. 

“Pa would be proud of you, David.” Javi whispered to his brother. 

“I hope I can make him proud of both of us.” 

From that day onwards, David had been nothing but supportive and caring to his brother. Of course they still had some off days where they wouldn’t want to speak to each other at the start, but now they hardly had those bad days. They continued to make decisions for Richmond and help the town in every way they could. They spent a lot of time around each other, hardly arguing, but discussing, making jokes, strengthening their brotherly bond, trying to build up their relationship so they could become as close as they were when they were kids. 

And yes, it would take them time, but hey, if the mess never washed out, might as well get neck deep, right? 

They needed to make their Pa proud of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations during the argument:
> 
> “Vete a la mierda, David.” = Fuck you, David
> 
> -
> 
> In my headcanon, Javi and David have been through so much together they deserve to be happy. But I do find it annoying that no matter how much you side with David in game, he will still beat you down and be a downright prick to Javi. Telltale for ya. Still love them both though, I saved Gabe and David instead of Kate. Don’t get me wrong, I love Kate, but bros before hoes! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed :) 
> 
> (Feedback is appreciated and criticisms are welcome!)


End file.
